Ideally, I'd like to move somewhere warmer after graduation. I'm still going back and forth between wanting to work on independent films or for a big movie studio, but I have some time to figure that out.

Opportunities at Northwestern:

I would say the main opportunities I've had were through Northwestern Productions, the film workshop on campus. I've been in this workshop since my first semester of college; each semester we work in different groups on a few projects. It's nice because the crew roles change so you get a bit of an exposure to what's out there in the industry. In addition, you really get to know the people in your major. In the past, I've established friendships with upperclassmen which later on gave me the opportunity to crew on some of their films outside of workshop.

Favorite Thing about Northwestern:

I really appreciate the relationships I've built up with some of my professors. They've continuously gone out of their way to help me understand, improve, and to give me advice. That's something I will always remember. Also, Northwestern's campus is very beautiful!

Featured Alumnus

Jodi Whitworth

Class of 2012

Current Employment:

It's been a fun journey thus far. I began as a multi - media journalist at the NBC affiliate in Des Moines, IA. Essentially what means, is that I wasmy own photographer, editor, and reporter all in one. Four months later, I moved up the totem pole and was promoted to a reporter. Come December, I will make my debut at the anchoring desk as a fill in anchor! I'm excited but nervous but how hard can it be to read the teleprompter for 30 minutes right? I've only been working at the station for 10 months but each month has been fun, exciting and completely different from the previous.

Advice For Students:

Be aggressive. In the field of communications, being passive will get you no where. Now, you don't have to be mean or rude trying to get what you want, but you need to stand out and show people that you want it. My current boss told me upon hiring me, "We hired you not because your perfect but you show potential. Show 'em what you got!

LA Film Studies Center

For those wishing to pursue a career in film, University of Northwestern is a great choice to obtain the education necessary for the industry. Not only do the Electronic Media Communication majors gain essential, hands-on training in their classes on campus, there are also multiple opportunities students pursue on other campuses.

Last spring Northwestern student, Grant Swanson, attended Los Angeles Film Studies Center (LAFSC) and currently Krista Koester is attending. Northwestern professor, Ann Sorenson, explains all EMC students have the opportunity to apply for the school. Students recognized for their creative instincts and leadership abilities are chosen to direct a film during their time at LAFSC. Grant Swanson and Krista Koester were both selected for this role; which allowed them to continue to develop their skills and abilities as visual storytellers. It also gives them a strong sample for their reel and a high-profile directing gig for the reel.

Grant Swanson's short film he directed back at Northwestern was chosen to be screened at the Minneapolis/St Paul International Film Festival this previous April. His film, "School Night", features two students who break into their school after hours.

Former US Senator Rod Grams, who passed away on October 8, gave to the University of Northwestern many old VHS tapes documenting his years of politics and public service.

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Kent Kaiser's former research assistant, Cody Durkee PR '13, and current research assistant, Daniel Schultz PR '16, these videos have been preserved for the public through digitization and deployment to YouTube.

Don Rainbow to retire

Donald "Doc" Rainbow, principal instructor in the University of Northwestern - St. Paul's theatre program, will be retiring at the end of the current academic year.

"We're grateful for the gifted leadership Doc has given the theatre program, both artistically and academically," said Doug Trouten, chair of the Department of Communication. "Whoever follows him will have big shoes to fill, but they will also have a solid foundation to build on."

On Saturday, October 5th, students from Dr. Kowalik's Intercultural Communication class met at Mel Johnson at 8:30 a.m. They hopped on a bus to take Dr. John Mayer's City Vision Tour of Minneapolis. During the tour students had the opportunity to experience an Asian and Mexican market, walk around the "Somali mall", see a variety of churches of other cultures, and have lunch at Midtown Global Market.

During the tour, Dr. Mayer exposed students to GLOCAL ministry, outreach to those of different cultures within our own community. By building relationships with people of other cultures, the opportunity to minister is available in our own backyard.

A day full of new and different foods and a deeper look into the city of Minneapolis from an intercultural perspective made a strong impact on the students who took the tour. During the debriefing on the ride back to Northwestern, students expressed a gratitude for the experience. Trying the camel burger at Midtown was a highlight for many, but the experience was built on more than just the food. Many students left with the understanding that the Minneapolis is full of many diverse cultures which is an opening to reach some people groups that, perhaps, we wouldn't be able to reach otherwise.

The City Vision Tour enabled many students to see Minneapolis in a new light. It also inspired and showed students the chance is available to participate in GLOCAL ministry in the Twin Cities.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story indicated that the Berlin Wall was built by Nazi Germany. In fact, it was built by the Communists during the Cold War.

Ouch! That's the sort of thing a writer really should know.

Henry James once said, "I know everything. One has to, to write decently." Despite his claim, omniscience isn't really an option for mere mortals. But even though perfect accuracy may be an unattainable ideal, it's still worth striving for.

In the old media system an editor would have caught the mistake about the Berlin Wall, and Suzy could have had a private moment of embarrassment, followed by a pledge to study a bit of history. (Reading children's books is a great way to review the basics of any subject.) But in our new media world, writers often have no filters, and their first drafts are flung into the world unedited. The motto of the Internet age of reporting could be, "Ready or not, here I come!"

Of course, even in traditional media, mistakes wind up slipping into print. Here are a few favorites:

"Due to incorrect information received from the Clerk of Courts office, Diane K. Merchant, 38, was incorrectly listed as being fined for prostitution. The charge should have been failure to stop at a railroad crossing."

"A headline on a Feb. 5 incorrectly stated 'Stolen groceries.' It should have read 'Homicide.'"

"In a September profile of Chelsea Clinton, Dan Baer was mistakenly identified as an interior designer. He is a deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State."

"The Earth orbits the sun, not the moon. Incorrect information appeared in a story on page A1 in Wednesday's Citizen."

Mistakes are inevitable, and are likely to become more common as life keeps getting faster and faster. You can't prevent every mistake. So what do you do? You do the best you can with the time you have, correct mistakes quickly, learn what you can from the error, and move on.